Tom DeLay Tries to Rewrite His Congressional Record

April 11, 2007
Tom DeLay Tries to Rewrite His Congressional Record

As Media Matters has noted, a July 11, 2003, Congressional Quarterly article reported that during DeLay's tenure, if Republican House members defied their leadership, "punishment" or "threats" would follow, or committee memberships could be put in jeopardy. Congressional Quarterly cited the examples of Rep. Christopher Shays (CT), who was denied a committee chairmanship after using a procedural rule to advance campaign finance reform legislation the Republican leadership opposed, and Christopher H. Smith (NJ), who was threatened with the loss of a committee chairmanship if he advanced legislation to guarantee veterans' health spending.